petch sez

I have seen a trend during the past year, which will upset some people. It would appear to be opposite of what the norm has been, at least around this neck of the woods. And it is related the 'Singer Curse', as some call it.

There are the people who are keeping their cars original as they have aged, going so far as driving around with faded paint and worn rugs. PCA even has a class for them in their Concours. They're called 'Survivors'. This segment is small but exists. Alongside of this group are the majority of Porsche owners, who keep the cars bone stock original and in as new condition throughout. These cars are perfect and new looking, the way it came from the factory.

But now a new breed has emerged and they are moving fast. These are the Hot Rods/Outlaws, with paint changes, big flares, upgraded interiors, chrome trim, motor changes, and you name it. This group is relatively new here, but Hot Roding 356’s and 911’s for years on the Left Coast. Singer and Magnus lead the pack here.

It seems that in the East, the only acceptable modifications were for track use. As many of you remember, I did it in the mid eighties by taking a 68 912 which cost $200 and stuffing a 911 engine into it and making it look like a 73 Carrera RS. I drove that car for nearly 10 years on the street and track (mostly track). When it got tired, I built a second RS Look from a 72, 911 stuffing a 3.6 into it. That car was my first car I drove at Daytona. Fast and cheap.

In the past, keeping cars stock got the high selling price. The un-modified Porsche would bring double or more over these others. But as Bob Dylan once sang, “The times they are a-changin”. These Hot Rod cars are bringing the top dollar now. There are more tribute paint schemes, more stuffing 3.6 motors in, more long hood conversions and just plain more of everything taking them over the top in some cases. Most of this work now is very high grade with paint work of the highest standard.

Who knows how long this trend will be in fashion but as we all know, trends come and go. There is a bright side of all of this for you owners of original cars though. When things cool off, the trend changes again, there will be fewer stock cars around and thus supply and demand will drive prices for the original up. There will always be Hot Rods for the people who enjoy that segment and that’s ok. As for the 'survivors', they don’t really don’t care about what the other two groups are doing, they just enjoy driving their cars around - 'like a rolling stone...'

All seems upside down in the Porsche world these days. Prices are going up, up and up with more players than ever (read non-Porsche people) in the game. Cars that only five years ago wouldn’t bring $5k, are getting home run derby dollars today. Even what we used to call ‘beaters’ are now called Drivers. So, let’s turn our discussion today to Drivers and where they are in the scheme of things. In my hierarchy, it goes like this. Show cars are top shelf, then Cars and Coffee cars, next are Driver, daily use but not every day, then beaters are last. Here’s my take on most of the Porsche’s manufactured in the past 50 years. Some you can drive and some you probably shouldn’t.

914 1970-76. Rust in the suspension and rockers destroyed half. At least 40% of the remaining cars have been killed by neglect because one couldn’t afford to fix them. Some of this 40% may still maybe saved but in truth, today they are economically infeasible to restore. This leaves 10% of the nice 4 bangers at $8 to $12k but reliability concerns and old technology hurts them. Sorry No.

914-6 1970-72. No longer a Driver and maybe never were. These cars are in the $60k to $80k range now. A Cars and Coffee and Show car.

Early 911 Long hood cars. Breaking the Bank here and there is nothing on earth to stop the climb. $50 to $75k. A Cars and Coffee shoe-in but most likely a Show car.

912 1965 to1969. You got a chance here with prices hovering at $30k for this 4 cylinder 911 look-a- like. Top notch 912s are bring $40k to $50k. People love the long hoods with only this 4 cyl model left an entrance price. What has happened to the car world? Better stop here or be accused of being six lover (even though, truth be told, I started out in a 912 45 years ago). Dark horse Cars and Coffee.

911 from 74-77. These cars were not looked on favorably for many years due to engine problems but now with the climb of the 911SC, these 911 have been reborn at the $24k level. Make sure you get a remote oil cooler with this car along with the other upgrades. Maybe a Driver.

911SC 78-83. These cars used to be a bargain and great driver at $20k not so much now at $35k. Good looks, good power and good handling have been the SC calling card. Yes still a Driver.

911 Carrera 3.2. A bullet proof car that that will stand up to miles with high mileage examples of over 100k miles bring near $50k. A chance here to being a Driver but a Cars and Coffee for sure.

911 89-95 964 models. People, in part to Singer and Magnus, have found out what a great car this is. AC that works, ABS, lots of power, air bags, power steering and superb handling. If you can find one for less than $40k buy it. Just make sure it has head gaskets. Got enough features to make Driver. 911 95-98 993. The price of the 993 have been out sight for 20 years but now things have cooled off. They haven’t gone down in price, they just haven’t climbed the way others Porsche have. One of the down falls with miles on these car is the secondary air injection problem, so be careful. Also, maybe the puffy design didn’t take after all. Cars and Coffee for sure.944 1983-91. These cars have a lot going for them, Ac, heat, safety and handling. This car is still affordable in the $5-$8k range. Just that some people haven’t got over engine placement and lack of power. Maybe a choice in the future.928 1978 -1995. The 928 was the successor to the 911 that never succeeded in eliminating the 911. Porsches first shot at electronics was a failure. The only cars that are worth having are the later years and they are not a Driver, maybe a Cars and Coffee.968 1992-1995. Here is an exceptional car that the world hasn’t discovered. At a price of $12-$18k you get a lot of car. The 968 will stand up to miles, heat, safety, ac with 911 power and handling of a 911, and then some. Right now only falls down on being an investment. This is a great Driver.986 Boxster 1997-2004. One of the top 3 cars Porsche ever made. You get it all, a true sports car with an open top. Porsche made a lot of Boxsters which has kept the price low, with a price of $8k to $12k you get a lot of car. I smell Driver.996 1999 – 2004. A lot of car for the price they are selling for. Draw backs: never be an investment too many cars, not the classic 911 design and engine problems. Buy nice choice for less than $20k.Here are my top three drivers:Number 3 You pick it.Number 2 BoxsterNumber 1 968 CoupeThat’s all she wrote.Dan

I was introduced to my first 911 a long time ago – waaaay back in 1972. I had several 356’s in my ‘shop’ with rusted out bottoms that I made feeble attempts at fixing. I'll go into those details at a later date or we will need to change the name of this blog. The car in question was a 68 Irish Green soft window Targa. I found the car listed in a local newspaper and the car was only 5 miles away. I made arrangements to look at the car the next Saturday morning with great anticipation.

Truth be told, I knew nothing about the 911, nothing about the engine, nothing about short wheel base, AND I knew nothing about Targas, This was the first year in America of the Targa and with the top off and the back window zipped out it was a dazzling looking car. Different than the popular coupe – but in many ways better looking. This Targa I went to see was now 4 years old but the paint looked like new, the interior was perfect and purred like a kitten. After a discussion with the owner pointing out the virtues of the Targa, a deal was struck and I drove it home. Remembering back, the Targa Top might have been a little worn and that might actually have been my very first Targa Top restoration. How time flies.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is an important, small detail about the engine. The reason it purred like a kitten instead of roaring like a lion was because it was a 4 cylinder 912 not a 6 cylinder 911. My first ‘real’ 911 was a 1972 911S Targa sportomatic and I’ll write about it in a future blog. But first, back to the Irish Green machine.

I LOVED that car, my boys practically grew up in the back of that 912 Targa. We drove it to soccer games, Porsche picnics, Watkins Glen – ohhh the memories. My kid’s favorite memory was when the back end caught on fire one cold winter morning while I was spraying some ‘boy scout juice’ into the carbs to help get it started. My aim was a little off, boom, backfire, poof, flames. I can still see the look on the boys faces. There’s just something about the smell of a combustible engine firing up on a cold morning that gets you going. ​I drove that car off and on for about 20 years and every minute was pure, low horsepower driving enjoyment. Then I ended up selling the 912 to a very close friend with buy back rights for life. He drove it for a few years and it’s been in storage for the past 15 years or so. I think it’s time for the 68 912 soft window Targa to come back home. As they say, you can always go home.

The MFI fuel system for Porsche street cars stinks. It may be perfect for a race car but few things that are perfect for racing work well for street. Biggest problem, the MFI system dilutes the oil with gas and leads to premature engine wear. The car does fly though.

Under steer or over steer in a Porsche results in which end of the car hits the guard rail first. Under steer the front hits first, over steer the back hits first. NASCAR calls this “Loose or Tight” for you Roundy Round guys.

914-4 was a very ‘balanced car’. When they stuck a 6 in the car it became much more difficult to drive because of all the weight being centered. The 6 suffered a polar effect with just one chance to catch it.

The Boxster solved the polar problem by distributing more weight in front of the front axles, this led to a well handling car. Of course the PCA Club Racing spec Boxster tribe negated the balanced handling by running the car square (same tires in front & rear).

Fuel load in pre 964 911 had a lot to do with handling and braking because of the fuel tank location. The tank was located in front of the rear axle and when fuel burned off the front got lighter which translates in to less braking and less balance with a higher percentage of weight in the rear. Remember over steer.

The steering wheel and pedal assembly was ‘off set’ to the center in all air cooled 911. That is why the seating position is so unique.

Model Year (MY) was difficult to understand prior to the 17 digit VIN (made mandatory in 1981). For example, in order to have cars in the show room in America by September Porsche began making the in June of the preceding year. Example: In June of 1969 Porsche began making 1970 which sometimes included items from the 1969 MY. This lead to some one off cars. Example: Round out side mirrors on early Carrera RS.

Rust was always issue with Porsches. First attempt was using galvanized floor pan in 1972. In late 1976 for US cars only, saw the introduction of fully galvanized tubs. Rust pretty much disappeared. ROW cars didn’t get this treatment until 1981. That is one of the reasons Euro cars were less desirable.

Speaking of rust. The problem with water getting inside the Targas was so prevalent Porsche came up with a unique fix. The factory drilled ¼” holes in the floor pan and then rubberized the floor. No lie. They couldn’t keep the water from getting in but they could drain it out. This solution I am sure came after the afternoon beer break.

One of the reasons Porsche 911 have been so successful in racing is over steer. The car rotates so you can get on the gas sooner, then on to the next straight. Or as Cole Trickle’s crew chief said in Day of Thunder,” Loose is fast and tight is slow”. Caution here, a little over steer is a good thing but too much is not so good. Just like everything in life. I'll drink to that.

I received a call last week that got me thinking. This person knew I have cars in various states of completion lying around all the time and was inquiring whether I had a suitable project DE car. I told him I had none. Here’s why. The price of all 911s have skyrocketed, and this has dried up the supply of ‘donor’ track cars – they've just become too valuable to risk stuffing in the wall at the track.

So, where are suitable inexpensive track cars going to come from now? This got me thinking back about the DE cars I had built over the years.

The first was a 1968 912 that I extended the wheel base, added flares, big brakes, 911 suspension, painted it white and added a big 3.0L engine. This is a car I bought for $200 finding in a shop’s scrap yard in the outskirts of Philadelphia. I used this car for over 10 years and it never let me down.

The second track car was a 1975 Carrera I bought for $12,000. My loving wife Anne drove it as her daily drive for 15 years and finally the 2.7 engine wore out. Actually it caught fire in the driveway but we’re not allowed to talk about that. Since it was not being used I built into a track car. After one year as a track car I sobered up and realized this car was too rare and turned it back to a street car. With age comes wisdom.

My third DE car was a 72 911 which I bought for $700 as a shell. This car I painted white everywhere, added big brakes, lots of light-weight plastic parts and a 3.6 engine. This is the car I drove at Daytona at Rennsport Reunion II. I used this car for several years before I bought a true Race Car - a 964 with all the bells and whistles. Now that was a great track car that provided a lot of memories.

What was common about these DE track cars was that they were low priced, very reliable, low maintenance, safe and fast. They were made out of worn out street cars and the parts we hung on them were more valuable than the chassis. We used to say if something bad happened all you needed was a pickup truck to gather the unbroken parts, since that is where the money was and you could probably put it all back together for next to nothing.

These days, there are no beaters. No worn out older 911s that can be turned into track cars. Every 911 regardless of condition is restorable and valuable. The end value is so great that even basket cases are prized. So, where do we go from here?

The answer lies in a car that has balance, good brakes, power and is relatively inexpensive - The Boxster. The newer, lighter, less expensive red-headed step-child of the 911. Purists don’t much care for them, but I think they make perfect track cars. If you don’t believe me come watch Boxsters perform at any of our DE track days.

You also have a second choice since 996’s are also relatively affordable (if you must drive a 911 at the track). And guess what, I think I have a couple of those lying around. Actually, I have a couple of both.

I thought it would be great time to highlight one of Porsches greatest limited production cars of the past. The RS America came out in the spring of 1992 as a1993 model. It was light with suspension and wheel upgrades found on the 965 Turbo. It came only in a coupe version with only 3 color choices - red, black and white (although you could special order it in midnight blue metallic or polar silver) and only with four options. It was made for the track and most of them happily found their way to a track at some point in their life. There were only 701 made in two model years, 93-94.

The only reason the RSA exists is because Porsche felt the European RS model was too aggressive for the US market so it was not sold here. Alas, the RS America was born - it was an RS made just for America. No power steering, no cruise control, no AC, no sunroom and no radio. It did come with a very distinctive 'whale tail' spoiler that still stands out today.

I am lucky enough to have two RSA’s in my collection. Here are the highlights of one of mine.

We were all headed to our last track even of the year. It promised to be one of the best, as twelve of us were going to VIR for a three day driving event. It is the longest trip for most of us, between 7 and 8 hours drive. However the track design, speed and setting are incredible. It rivals the Glen for all out speed and you get your speed fix three different times on each lap, whereas only once at The Glen.

My youngest son Matthew, who relocated to Charlotte, NC a few years back, decided to meet us there since it’s a short trip for him. Matty was going to drive my RS America Race car while we were building him his own race car. We decided that the 80% track and 20% street is just a little too much over the top Racer for his young family now. Or is this a ploy by him to drive my RSA? Anyway, I planned to build him a 50/50 car over the winter.

I was pleasantly surprised when Matty showed up on Friday morning, with his 5 year old son Mason in the 1996 KBF (Kills Bugs Fast) Twin Turbo he was borrowing while we built his new race car. I was not as happy when they began unpacking the Twin Turbo. He had it packed like a paneled station wagon on a trip to Disney. I questioned him about the need for a bike that he was extracting from the back seat area. He then reminded me that I have always touted the Porsche as a perfect family car with a wry smile. Ha. Now the kid is using my own stuff against me. I was afraid to look at the glove soft leather in the car. Oh well, it was great to spend time with Matthew and Mason and I guess that’s the price you have to pay sometimes.

There is a lot of walking a VIR due to the size of the paddock being long and narrow. This is the place I blew-up my knee two years ago from excessive walking. Now though I have a scooter to get around (A Christmas gift from Matty). This scooter is basically a gas powered skateboard with a fold up handle, in other words a broken shoulder and concussion waiting to happen. It is capable of 35mph with shaky steering, so it is nearly as exciting to ride as VIR is to drive. Fellow PCA member, Claudia thinks it is a hoot but she is a skier and we know how they live on the edge.

During the day I noticed that we were having trouble with losing air in the front right tire of the RSA. I had another tire and rim but this was a new set on the car and I wanted to wear this set evenly. Therefore, prior to every run session we had to add several pounds of air. The air was down at the other end of the paddock, so it was a pain. Just before the last run group of the day, I borrowed an air tank and headed on down to the air pump on my trusted scooter. The scooter handle bar has gas on one side and brake on the other. This means you need to carry the air bottle in the brake hand. I took it nice and slow down to the air pump; however coming back would be a different story. As I coasted the sandy parking area where we were setup, I realized I was carrying a little too much speed. I was headed for trailer ramp, not good. Mind you I am only going 2 or 3 miles an hour at most. Having a difficult time getting to the brake, I yelled ‘coming in hot’ and turned the handle bars to the right to miss the metal ramp that most certainly cause brain damage. That is all it took. The front wheel dug in and over the handle bars I went. I wish I would have just hit the sandy ground but no such luck. My knee hit the air tank on the way down and broke my fall. Most had seen the crash and came rushing over to see if I were still alive. They found me laughing out loud. Here I am at a race tack driving a car at over a 150mph and I get hurt on a scooter at 2 mph.

The problem is this is my bad knee, been cut twice due to injuries. I knew what I was in store for. Only one thing to do before the swelling flared up, pop two Motrin and strap myself in for the last run group of the day. At this point I could hardly walk but you don’t need to be able to walk to be able to drive.

I guess I was right about some things, like a Porsche being the perfect family car.And wrong about others, like the scooter being a broken shoulder waiting to happen. Should have said broken knee. Either way, it’s a good story. See you around.

Shoes, tires and suspension will allow you to go faster than horsepower and brakes.

I have found that nothing really good happens after midnight, though sometimes you may think it does.

When trying to get horsepower out a motor, you can’t fool Mother Nature for long. Especially true of boosting a Turbo.

Driving a car fast on the track is one of the top 10 things you will ever do. Curiously I only remember one of the other 9.

When you are having too much fun, things will change.

When you finally got all the answers they change the questions (rules).

When it rains at a racetrack nothing good can happen except for the fans.

The more I hear about Facebook, the more I know people too much time on their hands. To get attention, people are doing some incredible dumb things

Maturity is accepting one can’t have their way all the time. As a mater of fact, not even 25% of the time.

While at a DE drivers meeting, I was asked if there was a spare instructor for an experienced driver who had not been to this particular track, I looked at Pete D and he shook his head no. I then answered “Start at the back of the pack”. That has been the answer ever since.

Sometimes I get really bad Targa tops in for repair. When talking to the owner I ask if this top was really on a car? If owner say yes, I follow up with, going down the road under its own power? That’s how bad some of tops are.

Nothing good can happen at the start of any Race, unless you consider carnage and mayhem good. Though fans will argue this point.

Porsches are the best.

I have always lived my life close to the line, and once in while step over, but not far over.

If we were all as good a driver as we think we are, we all would be in Formula One.

In order to begin negotiations, each must want what the other has.

You can lead a horse to water but to get him to swim on his back you really have something. Or on the track you must slow down first to go fast. The same thing.

I never met a person that admitted they made a poor decision in buying a Porsche.

I love my cars, I love the track but most I love Anne for allowing me to do one and two.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the recent popularity of taking new and old air cooled 911’s and doing unusual things to them, which some may call sacrilegious. If you haven’t, it’s time you woke up and smelled the gasoline (or reality). I realize this is not for everyone –certainly not Porsche purists – but there are plenty of people forking over hundreds of thousands of dollars for these cars.

There seems to be a trend to have either 100% stock or over the top modified. Companies like Singer (pictured above) are taking 964’s and making them in to $500k long hood retro cars with unique touches and pristine interiors. Others like Magnus Walker are taking Long Hood 911’s painting them unique colors, putting big motors in them with performance suspensions and more. Some of these cars are bringing well over $100,000.

Since I’m at least twice as ‘experienced’ as these guys, I’ve decided to jump in and, with the help of my buddy Mike and Schatten Rappen’ readers, we will build a car. However, we are going to do this on a budget so we don’t have more money in the car than what it is worth. Half of the people who embark on such a project spend way over what the car is worth.

Rule number 1: A car’s worth isn’t how much you have in receipts, it’s the price someone is willing to pay for the it when its completed. If you build a car for a $100k and it is worth only $70k this means you were $30k stupid.

Our budget will be $60k and Mike and I will build this car in his shop at a secret location undetectable by Stuttgart and government drones. The car will either be a ‘68 or ‘69 911. The car will come to us without lids, doors, front fenders, bumpers, gauges, interior, engine, trans, and brakes. In the big leagues we call this a Tub - a blank canvas ready to be customized how we wish.

​But wait - What should we call it? Is this going to be a tribute car, an outlaw, a club car, a bandit or something different?

Task 1 is to let me know what you think we should call this project car. Pick one or suggest an alternative.□ Tribute car□ Outlaw□ Club car□ Bandit□ Other

The color will play a big part in the build, choosing a color from the 60’s or 70’s is the way we should go. It will be spectacular because the paint will be done correctly: doors off, lids off, glass out, etc. The total for prep and paint will be $9,000.

about Dan

Dan Petchel is a Porsche driver, enthusiast and longtime PCA member and he's been tinkering with these beloved German sports cars for close to 50 years. He writes about Porsches, Targa Tops, vintage parts and the people he meets along the way